Abso-fucking-lutely Biden should not use his power to go after Trump.

[Drunken Irishman]

Anyone who says he should is no better than Trump and the bullshit he spewed about locking up Hillary if he was elected.

Biden should allow the Department of Justice to handle everything and he should NOT in any way appear to be putting his thumb on the scales.

[XanaDUer2]

1. agreed nt

.

[wryter2000]

2. Yup

Biden should concentrate on getting the country going in the right direction and leave the investigations to the people who are supposed to do them.

[vlyons]

3. I do want to see Trump investigated, but there is a right way to go about it

Letting Justice handle it is the right way.

[luv2fly]

4. "Go after" is a pretty loose term

Saying "Anyone who says he should is no better than Trump" is pretty outrageous and that's being nice.

I suspect Dems as a whole support law and order with respect to any tRump misdeeds. As leader of the party Joe will be seen as supportive of enforcing law and order. That's not a bad thing.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

6. Agreed.

There’s a difference: trump is fucking guilty

[Drunken Irishman]

10. Sorry but you're wrong. It's not the president's role to go after his predecessor.

That is just dangerous talk. I don't care if Trump committed crimes. It's not the next president's job to get involved with the legality of anything.

[forgotmylogin]

26. Exactly. It *shouldn't* be the President's job to pursue criminals.

Trump was all about vengeance and bully taunts and wielding government resources against people he didn't like. We shouldn't be all up in the President's personal business like he does. Trump is a terrible person across the board and that's not anyone else's fault.

There are laws, and Trump, as a soon-to-be citizen, is subject to them.

[Bleacher Creature]

5. Which is pretty much what the article that freaked everyone out said.

It hinted that Biden may personally be leery about investigations becoming a distraction, but his commitment to an independent DOJ is all that matters.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. 100% correct.

The president - any president - should stay out of DoJ's decisions regarding investigations and whom to prosecute. James Comey (whatever you might think of him, he's right about this) said that after Obama had finished interviewing him, he (Obama) told him that they could have no more direct conversations, because it would be inappropriate for a president to be involved, or even seem to be involved, in criminal investigations and prosecutions. If the FBI or other law enforcement agency receives evidence that Trump might have committed a crime, they will investigate, quietly and without any involvement of the president. If they find evidence to turn over to a U.S. Attorney, they will do so, again without informing or involving the president. If the U.S. Attorney decides to call a grand jury, that is also their decision. It can't be political or even carry the faintest whiff of the political - although that accusation will be made, regardless.

What I think will happen is that Trump will pardon himself, which, of course, won't save him from state prosecutions. But it gets Biden and his DoJ completely off that hook because they have no control over what the Manhattan D.A. does. If Trump is prosecuted and convicted in a New York state court, he would go to a much less pleasant prison than if the Feds got him. Realistically, though, I don't think he'll spend a day in prison - but he could be subject to civil forfeiture, which would be almost as painful for him.

[JI7]

8. That are going to Pardon each other. But there still needs to be

an investigation to expose everything that happened.

[Mike 03]

9. We get that. The people saying Trump should be punished aren't saying

Biden should go after him.

It would be up to SDNY and the AG. Trump can and should be investigated for breaking laws by the oversight mechanisms already in place (once they are repaired, after being broken and destroyed by Trump).

It is also up to the FBI and Intelligence agencies, if they have cause to believe they need to open counterintelligence investigations (or, worse, counterespionage investigations) into Trump, if they have not already (and Peter Strzok's book gives me reason to believe they may have--at the very least they absolutely considered it).

JFC

[LenaBaby61]

50. "JFC"

I hear you

[Mr. Ected]

11. Trump is just the head of the beast. The entire effing GOP needs to be investigated.

Remember that vast right-wing conspiracy that Hillary foresaw back in the 90's? Well, it's never gone away and it may have reached its criminal zenith the past 4 years. Conspiracy as in felonious conspiracy. Conspiracy as in covering up myriad crimes and abuses of the public trust.

None of that is spearheaded by the President. The wheels of justice will exact the proper response. It will not and should not be political in nature, no matter how much the opposition protests it as such.

[MyNameGoesHere]

12. Cool. I also agree to close my eyes and pretend

The last four years were okie dokie. WTF? Joe should encourage, direct, and pursue the absolute crucification of Donald fucking trump. To not do so would be a violation of his path.

[sinkingfeeling]

13. Agree.

[uponit7771]

14. This sounds like a strawman at best, no on is saying Biden should dawn a badge and gun and arrest

... Putin's Whore himself.

Come on people, the bigger issue here is working towards peace via justice

[Turin_C3PO]

16. I think we're all in agreement here.

Biden stays above the fray and allows the DOJ to do their job. Biden doesn’t even have to comment on any specific investigations.

[LizBeth]

23. Exactly. Flipping the conversation to Biden dawning a badge is crap.

[58Sunliner]

42. A strawman indeed.

[luv2fly]

48. Exactly this

Joe isn't the one to "go after" anyone, but he can certainly support law and order as the leader of the Dems.

[LenaBaby61]

52. Andrew Weissman who was on Ali's show earlier said ...

That if tRump isn't investigated, even though it appears that he may be guilty of millions of dollars worth of tax fraud etc., then why have agencies of investigation if no one is investigated for their alleged acts of criminality?

I know that if a Dem had done a tiny bit of what tRump had done: NOT caring about folks dying of Covid-19, working with putin, trying to overturn the ACA in total and not replacing it with anything, and we know that i could go on and on of what tRump is probably guilty of, he'd have been dragged out of the oval office and put on trial like yesterday by thuglicans because as I recall, Obama was gone after by many in the corporate media and by thuglicans for wearing a tan suit during the presidency (Pretty sure no Dem president would do what tRump, Nixon or Bush were guilty of. It hurt that Dems have to always move on for the good of the country when thuglicans fuck shit up almost beyond repair 😑 .

Why weren't RayGun or Dem Bill Clinton gone after for wearing tan suits during their presidencies?

Humm ... I wonder if White Male Privilege applies?

[Thekaspervote]

15. Thank you!! Really frustrating for anyone to not understand this after what we've been thru

And continue to suffer thru under the likes of this tyrant

[Duppers]

17. You have read this...

Still, multiple aides said, Biden is generally not inclined to see his Justice Department investigate Trump.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/president-elect-biden-wary-trump-focused-investigations-sources-say-n1247959

[LizBeth]

24. +1. This is what people are calling out.

[paleotn]

37. Then they're just emboldened all the more...

Did we learn NOTHING from Obama's 8 years?

[LizBeth]

40. It does not look like it. Even as we watch the transition stalled and Republican and Trumps extreme

behavior, still... We are gonna unite!

[Blue Owl]

18. K&R

[MFGsunny]

19. Totally agreed. And that kind of rank revenge stupidity is NOT Biden. n/t

[JoeOtterbein]

20. NO! Biden should seek justice in every case of federal crimes without fear!

It will be his absolute duty to do so on Jan. 20 and after.

No reason to shy away from the concept of justice-for-all, at this time.

Who knows what crimes *rump & Co. will commit before Jan. 20. Those crimes might not only be against our nation, but against humanity.

Now is no time for fear of politics. We have a nation and the world to protect from the likes of *rump & Co.

[Mr.Bill]

21. While I agree with the main premise of the OP,

I don't think locking up Hillary should be compared to locking up Trump. While due process should be afforded to all, it's pretty clear that Trump has broken many laws while Hillary has not.

But yes, it's a job for the DOJ, not the President.

[stillcool]

22. same old, same old...

anything they can find to get people pissed, and it surely does not have to be true, or relevant. Attack from without, attack from within.

[ancianita]

25. You're abso-fuckin'-lutely right.

He does not have to. We all should know that SDNY will do as good a job of going after him as the DOJ. If the DOJ investigates and indicts him, that will be icing on the justice cake.

[DinahMoeHum]

27. Agreed. Biden's job will be a Chief Executive Officer. . .

. . .NOT an Attorney General. . .and as such, he will delegate that authority.

[WyattKansas]

28. Simple... Biden shouldn't play a role, but the U.S. Justice Department should NOT be restrained...

In any way whatsoever from fully investigating everything and anything the tRUMP & Republican Cabal have been doing for the last decade. If they need more personnel and funding, then there should NOT be any obstacle for that. If a Special Counsel needs to be brought in and funded to cover everything, then so be it.

The tRUMP & Republican Criminal activity that nearly ended the USA will only escalate and never end, until all crimes, corruption, and traitorous activities have been prosecuted and punished to the full extent of the law without exception. Crawl up their asses with microscopes, just like any ordinary Citizen would have done to them.

[BigmanPigman]

29. OK, fine with that. I am also more direct. Go to the fat, orange source.

The mob is fine with performing this duty...they are more than experienced and capable of doing such things (like Putin would do to his pals). Trump would love to die at the hands of a good, old-school NY mobster (it is his childhood dream) so we should at least give him that. Find an extra large pair of cement shoes (with lifts naturally). He'll go out in um... a certain style, splash, down like a big fat boulder!

[BobTheSubgenius]

30. I agreed with this earlier,

and I agree with it now.

[Escurumbele]

31. That is what Biden said he would do, that he would stay from it and just let

the next AG handle it as he/she saw fit.

Is anyone suggesting Biden should get involved? Have not heard that one.

[rurallib]

32. Biden's job is to work to correct a broken bureaucracy and horrible policy

[zentrum]

33. Yup.

[yonder]

34. Yes, agreed.100%

[paleotn]

35. Seems Biden's stated policy is....

to rebuild the wall separating the White House from the Justice Dept. He will not interfere with Justice in the performance of its job. In my mind, that's akin to crying havoc and letting slip the dogs of war. Biden needs not lift a finger. The right AG will do all that's necessary. And I fucking mean ALL that's necessary. It's time to put the fear of God in these bastards.

[EmeraldCoaster]

36. Biden doesn't have to.

Let the chips fall where they may. Trump is going to prison.
It would demonstrate "no one is above the law".

[ailsagirl]

45. I'd be surprised

Not that he doesn't deserve it-- just that he'll somehow weasel out of it-- we all know how corrupt he is...

I hope I'm wrong but I've seen too many get away with impunity over the years...

[onecaliberal]

38. Hillary did not break the law. Trump is a ducking traitor and 250,000 are DEAD, so no trump doesn'

Skate

[KPN]

39. Ummm, the DOJ is part of the Executive Branch.

Nuance it any way you want, but an investigation carried out by the DOJ will be characterized by Repugs as political regardless of how much distance is created it and Biden as President. The only way to avoid that is for Biden to explicitly direct the DOJ to NOT investigate the tRump administration.

I don’t want him to do that. I also think it would be a massive mistake to do so. We have one chance to right this ship. Forgiving the past, letting bygones be bygones won’t correct anything. Changes in laws may, but will Repugs and big money lobbyists support the needed changes when there are no consequences? Doubtful.

[Rizen]

41. I agree he should leave it to the DoJ but the Hillary comparison is terrible

Trump's a criminal who needs to be punished. Hillary isn't.

[58Sunliner]

43. "Anyone who says he should is no better than Trump"

That's a big fat whopper with cheese. But let's ask those Trump supporters how they feel.

[luv2fly]

49. Big thumbs up

👍

[ailsagirl]

44. DEFINITELY

Delegate!!

[SlogginThroughIt]

46. I completely agree.

[Generic Brad]

47. As long as he selects a vindictive warrior of justice, I agree

I want someone who gives no quarter to the Republican criminal enterprise and hunts down and pursues prosecution of every single one who betrayed our nation for the sake of personal gain.

[DBoon]

51. He should not hinder the DOJ in any way though

and malfeasance should be investigated and prosecuted as it always has been for political corruption that violates Federal Law.